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Ohio’s state school board, with scaled back duties, has a new superintendent

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — The state school board has hired a new state school superintendent, as the current leader leaves for a new position overseeing education programs for tens of thousands of kids of U.S. military members.

Dr. Philip Wagner poses for a smiling portrait.
New state school superintendent Dr. Philip Wagner is the superintendent of the Johnstown-Monroe Local Schools. [@KLATTEPHOTOGRAPHY2022 | Johnstown-Monroe Local Schools]
There was no discussion on “item number 18” at Monday’s state board of education meeting—the resolution to appoint a superintendent of public instruction. It was introduced and a roll call vote was taken in only about a minute, and the vote to hire Dr. Philip Wagner was unanimous.

Wagner is the superintendent of the Johnstown-Monroe Local Schools. Before taking that job in 2022, he filled the same role in the Licking Heights School District. He arrived there in 2011 having served in various roles in the Beachwood City Schools.

Wagner won’t take the new position till late July, so the agency’s chief legal counsel Jason Wagner will be interim state superintendent till then.

Wagner is the second superintendent hired since the board split from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and the agency took over the board’s academic policy powers and dealing with the daily business of the state’s more than 600 school districts. The director of the Department of Education and Workforce is now appointed by the governor. DEW is currently led by Steve Dackin, a former school board member.

The board now does licensing and discipline of teachers and other more minor functions.

Superintendent Paul Craft was set to start his new position with the federal government today. He’ll be the director of the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity, managing education programs for 67,000 kids of US military families in 161 schools on March 9. Craft previously was superintendent of the Buckeye Valley Local Schools and Delaware City schools.